Floor rack for refrigerator cars



V. E. SISSON FLOOR RACK FOR REFRIGERATOR CARS Original Filed Oct. 7, 1937 Patented Feb. 6, 1940 Light? 1 V I-Loon RAcKroit ahmrGaaAToa CARSL .mesne' ass gnments"; to Standard 'Railwa "fEquipment Manufacturing Company,-I0hic" Ill-.,acorporation' of-Delaware Application August "17, 1938, Serial N... 225315)? I I Vin ton El'tSis's onQWinnetka, "Ill;assignprfby now Patent No. 2,147,130, dated'Feb ruar'y'M," 1939, which is a division of'application Serial 3 1 No. 167,771, October 7 1937, now Patent No. 2,147,129, dated February 14, 1939. Divided and this application November 7, 1938, Serial 2 Claims.

The invention relates to insulated railway refrigerator cars used to transport perishable commodities, such as vegetables, fruits, berries,

meats, eggs, frozen fish, etc., and to maintain' been found that perishable commodities which have not been allowed to get too cold (freeze) or too hot (bake) have a high market value because they have a longer storage life.

In a refrigerator car water ice is associated with certain elements of the car to establish a convention circulation of air between the refrigerant chamber and the lading compartment to cool the lading in the car (as hereinafter described). A foraminous floor supports the lading in spaced relation to the insulated floor of N the car.

It is desirable to allow at least some of the melted ice to remain on the insulated floor of the car below the foraminous floor to produce further insulation betwen the outside of the car 25 and the air fiues below the foraminous floor and also to further cool the circulating air. The melted ice (water) has a temperature of about 32 Fahrenheit when no salt is usedand-as low as 14 Fahrenheit when 25% salt is mixed with a the lump ice, therefore, it can effectively perform the two above mentionedfunctions. The service movements of the car, that is, the stopping and starting, as well as the swaying movement, cause the melted ice to be thrown against the fora-mi- {I nous floor supports, bulkhead supports, threshold and other projections and splash through the openings in the foraminous floor and against the lading. Ingpackage lading the containers would be soiled and in loose lading such dampness .might cause the commodity to rot.

An object of the invention is to position the refrigerant ice so that the melted ice (water) will drain upon the insulated floor below the toraminous floor and to construct the foraminous 5 floor so that the melted ice (water) will not splash through the foraminous fiooiz.

In the drawing:

Figs. 1 and 2 showthe relation of my improved floor rack to the other elements of a 50 refrigerator car to guide the circulating air from the refrigerant chamber to the lading compartmerit for cooling a lading as hereinafter described.

Fig. 3 shows the means associated with the 55 stringers to cover the spaces between adjacent slats adjacent'the stringers to preventi-rplashing of melted ice through the-.foraminous' -ficor.

In the form of my invention illustrated'the refrigerator car is provided with a bulkhead, 2 separating the refrigerant chamber 3 from the 5 lading compartment 4. The bulkhead 2 is provided with an aperture 5 adjacent the floor 6 of the car and an aperture I adjacent the ceiling 8 of the car with a solid wall 9 therebetween.

A refrigerant is supported by the ice supporting means 12 in the refrigerant chamber 3 in spaced relation to the floor 6 of the car and the basket (or netting) i3 spaces the refrigerant from the end wall It and bulkhead 2 to provide the fiues 18-41. The apertured floor rack, or foraminous floor, supports the lading so as to provide the space 20 which communicatesv with the fiues l6-I|. A refrigerant, such as ice in the refrigerant chamber, induces a convection circulation of air from the flues lB-l'l, through the flue space 20 and the apertures 2! in the floor rack, and as the air is warmed bythe lading, it rises and passes through the bulkhead upper opening I and thence through the flues l6l'|, and being cooled by the refrigerant, repeats the convection cycle.

When a stove or other heater is placed in the refrigerant chamber a convection circulation of air is induced in the opposite direction because the air warmed by the heater rises and falls when cooled by the lading.

In the form of my invention shown in Fig. 3

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the ioraminous floor IB comprises a plurality of spaced apart slats 25 supported by stringers 25 upon the insulated floor 6 of the car, which stringers are preferably positioned parallel to the direction of movement of the, circulating air and the spaced apart slats 25 extend normally to the stringers 26. The refrigerating circulating air passes through the spaces 2'! between the slats. Screws, bolts, nails or any other securing means may be used. Short members All are secured to the stringer 25 in the spaces 2? between adjacent slats 25 which extend beyond both sides of the stringer to stop the splashing water. The upper surfaces 4! of these members are preferably sloped to provide a water-shed.

The accompanying drawing illustrates the preferred form of the invention, though it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the exact details of construction shown and described, as it is obvious that various modifications thereof, within the scope of the claims, will occur to persons skilled in the art.

This is a division of my co-pending application No. 225,275, iiled August 17, 1938, now matured into Patent No. 2,147,130, which is a division of my co-pending application No. 167,771, flied October 7, 1987, now matured into Patent I claim: 1. In a refrigerator car having an insulated floor, a ioraminous floor above the insulated iioor, and a space between said floors, the re- 10 trigeratin'g ice which induces an air current in said space being positioned so that the melted ice wiii drain upon said insulated floor, said 'ioraminous floor comprising a plurality oi spaced apart parallel slats, a stringer extending nor-, mally to and supporting said slats upon the insulated floor, and members secured to the stringer in the spaces between the slats which extend beyond the sides of the stringer whereby said 5 members prevent the melted ice from splashing against the stringer and resplashing through the spaces between the slats.

2. A structure as deiined in claim 1 wherein H the upper surfaces of said members are sloped to 10 provide water sheds.

VIN'ION I. GIBSON. 

